The Win Of An Incumbent

United States President Abraham Lincoln was voted into a second term on November 8^th 1864, by around 400,000 votes.

The United State presidential election was held Tuesday November 8^th 1864, despite the ongoing Civil War.  Sitting President Abraham Lincoln was the Republican or “National Union Party” candidate, running against Democratic “Peace Candidate” Union General George B McClellan.  When the votes were counted, Lincoln won the popular vote by more than 400,000 votes.  Many of these coming from soldiers in the field, and on the strength of the Union win in the Battle of Atlanta on September 6^th 1864.  It was the first time that soldiers in the field were allowed to cast ballots, and around 70% went for Lincoln.  From the stand point of the Electoral College Lincoln took 212 of the 233 available votes.

Lincoln was the first incumbent president to win a reelection since Andrew Jackson was reelected to a second term in 1832.

They Rushed The Bridge

Albion P Howe

Along the Orange and Alexandria Railroad on November 7^th 1863 the Second Battle of Rappahannock Station was fought.

Confederate General Robert E Lee withdrew his forces across the Rappahannock River in late October 1863.  A pontoon bridge was left at the town of Rappahannock Station, the only connection to the north shore.  The crossing was protected by two redoubts and Confederate artillery posted on the south side of the river.

Union commander Major General George G Meade approaching the river divided his force.  Major General William H French was to cross the river downstream at Kelly’s Ford, while Major General John Sedgwick attacked the Confederates at Rappahannock Station.  They were to rejoin and move on Brandy Station.

On November 7^th 1863 about noon French’s force crossed the river at Kelly’s Ford, pushing the Confederates at the crossing back.  Shortly after noon Sedgwick advanced on Rappahannock Station.  Lee moved his troops to meet the threat on the two fronts.  Union Major General Albion P Howe’s division, a part of Sedgwick’s VI Corps drove in Confederate skirmishers about 3 pm and began to pound the Confederate batteries with his own artillery fire.  Posted at the bridge that day was Confederate Brigadier General Harry T Hay’s brigade with four guns of Captain Charles A Green’s Louisiana Guard Artillery, about 2,000 troops.  Sedgwick continued the shelling through the late afternoon, leading Lee believe the move against Rappahannock Station was feint to cover French’s crossing.  Sedgwick waited until almost dark, and then his infantry rushed the Confederate works.  Union Colonel Peter Ellmaker’s advanced on the double quick, surging over the Confederate works and fighting hand to hand with Hay’s men.  On the Union right Colonel Emory Upton’s brigade seized the bridge.

The Confederates gave up quickly.  Hundreds of Confederate soldiers surrendered, while others excepted by swimming the icy cold river.  There were 1,670 Confederate killed, wounded or captured in the short fight.  Union casualties were only 419.

Killed In Mexico Unrepentant

Confederate Officer Mosby Monroe Parson received his commission to Brigadier General November 5^th 1862.

Mosby Monroe Parson was born May 21^st 1822 in Charlottesville, Virginia, the oldest child of Gustavus Adolphus and Patience Monroe (Bishop) Parson.  His family moved to Cooper County, Missouri when he was thirteen, finally settling in Jefferson City, Missouri.  He worked in his father’s brickyard, to pay tuition at St Charles College.  Parson read for the law with Judge James W Morrow and passed the bar, becoming a lawyer in 1846.  When the Mexican American War started he served with the rank of Captain with the Cole County Dragoons and was cited for gallantry at the Battle of Sacramento.  He returned to Missouri after the war and served as the United States District Attorney for western Missouri as well as in the Missouri State Legislature.

When the Civil War started Parson took an appointment to lead the Sixth Division of the Missouri State Guard.  He led his men in the Battle of Wilson’s Creek.  After this action, Parson went to Richmond, Virginia to try to get an appointment in the Confederate Army.  He received a commission on November 5^th 1862 to Brigadier General, and one month latter was leading men at the Battle of Prairie Grove.  He would see action at Helena, Arkansas, and in putting down Union Major General Nathaniel Bank’s Red River Campaign, the Battle of Pleasant Hill, and the Battle of Jenkins’ Ferry among others.  He finished the war in the Trans Mississippi Department under Confederate General Kirby Smith, as the commander of the District of Arkansas.

After the Civil War was over Parson didn’t return to Missouri, but went to Mexico, planning to join up with Confederate General Joseph O Shelby.  While in Mexico, he along with former Confederate Congressman Aaron H Conrow and Parson’s brother-in-law Confederate Captain Austin M Standish were taken captive by Mexican Juaristas cavalry, and executed on August 15^th 1865 near Chino, Mexico.  Their bodies were thrown into the San Juan River.  There is a marker for Parson in the Maplewood Cemetery in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Indiana Men

The Union 44^th Indiana Infantry was organized October 24^th 1861 at Fort Wayne, Indiana.

A Fort Wayne, Indiana druggist, Hugh B Reed was made the Colonel of the 44^th Indiana when it was organized October 22^nd 1861.  The 44^th was made up of volunteers mostly from Indiana’s Tenth Congressional District in the northeastern part of the state.  They left for Henderson, Kentucky in December 1861 and went into camp at Calhoun, Kentucky.  In February 1862 they were moved to the Fort Henry area and then onto Fort Donelson, Tennessee, where the 44^th took heavy casualties during the siege of the fort.  Following this action they moved onto the Battle of Shiloh taking 210 casualties.  The men of the 44^th would also take part in the Siege of Corinth, Mississippi, and the Battles of Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and Stones River.  They finished up their duty on provost guard duty at Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The 44^th was mustered out of Union service September 14^th 1865.  During their service the 44^th lost 80 killed and 229 who died from disease.

To Cross The Big Blue

Sterling Price

The Battle of Byram’s Ford [sometimes called the Battle of the Big Blue River] was really a small skirmish fought October 22^nd 1864 in Jackson County, Missouri.

Confederate Major General Sterling Price was moving his Army of Missouri toward Fort Leavenworth and Kansas City, planning to enter Missouri.  In response Union Major General Samuel R Curtis’ Army of the Border blocked his way, while Union Major General Alfred Pleasonton’ cavalry pushed from the rear.  Price was traveling with about 500 supply wagons and so needed a good crossing on the Big Blue River.  Byram’s Ford was the best crossing in the area.

Union Major General James G Blunt’s division was holding the west bank of the Big Blue River on October 22^nd 1864.  At about 10 am a part of Confederate Brigadier General Joseph O Shelby’s division made a frontal attack on the Union men, while the rest of the force flanked them.  Blunt’s troops were forced to pull back to Westport.  Price moved his wagons over Byram’s Ford, safely crossing the Big Blue River, and moving on to the south.

The Camp Was Made Up Of Confederate Trees

The Battle of Ball’s Bluff [also called the Battle of Leesburg or Harrison’s Island] was fought October 21^st 1861 in Loudoun County, Virginia.

On October 19^th 1861 Union Brigadier General George A McCall took his division to Dranesville, Virginia about 12 miles from Leesburg, Virginia to see if Confederate Colonel Nathan Evans had abandoned Leesburg.  Evans was in fact in a defensive position on the Alexandria Winchester Turnpike to the east of the town.

Union Brigadier General Charles Pomeroy Stone was ordered on October 20^th 1861 to conduct a demonstration on the Confederates.  He had troops moved along the river, with artillery firing into the suspected Confederate position; Stone crossed about 100 of the 1^st Minnesota Infantry just before dark.  Getting no reaction from Evans troops, Stone recalled his men.  After dark Stone ordered Colonel Charles Devens of the 15^th Massachusetts Infantry to send about 20 men across the river to gather information.  These soldiers advanced about mile inland, mistaking a row of tree for a Confederate camp they reported this “camp” without verifying.  This information caused Stone to order 300 troops to be moved across the river as soon as it was light.

Devens’ troops quickly discovered on the morning of October 21^st 1861, that there wasn’t a camp for raiding.  He had his men deploy along the tree line and sent back to Stone for new orders.  Stone had the rest of the 15^th Massachusetts cross the river and join the first of Devens’ troops and make a reconnaissance towards Leesburg.  Stone sent Colonel Edward Dickinson Baker to evaluate the situation.  Baker was told to move additional troops across the river or withdraw at his discretion.  At this point Baker learned that Devens’ men had engaged a company of the 17^th Mississippi Infantry, and so decided to move more troops across the river.  The problem was a lack of boats and so the crossing took forever.  Devens found himself facing a growing number of Confederate troops and around 2 pm was forced to withdraw to the bluff along the river where Baker deployed the men he had gotten across.  At about 3 pm the fighting became heavy, continuing until after dark.  Baker was killed about 4:30 becoming the only United States Senator ever killed in battle.  At dark with their line breaking the Union troops began to look for an escape route.  Banks of the river along Ball’s Bluff were steep, boats which were over loaded by men trying to re-cross the river became swamped, and many Union men drowned.

There were 223 Union soldiers killed, including Colonel Baker, 226 wounded, and 553 taken prisoner of war.

The Youngest Confederate General

Confederate Major General Stephen Dodson Ramseur died October 20^th 1864 from wounds received the day before at the Battle of Cedar Creek.

Stephen Dodson Ramseur was born May 31^st 1837, the son of Jacob Able and Lucy Mayfield (Dodson) Ramseur in Lincolnton, North Carolina. His family and friends knew him as Dod.  Ramseur studied math at Davidson College, and then finished his education at the United States Military Academy at West Point.  He graduated in 1860, ranked 14^th in his class, he was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the United States Artillery.

Ramseur resigned his commission and joined the Confederate Army before his home state had even seceded.  On May 27^th 1861 he was made Lieutenant Colonel in the 3^rd North Carolina Infantry.  During the Peninsula Campaign Ramseur commanded the artillery in Confederate Brigadier General John B Magruder’s division.  In April 1862 he became the Colonel of the 49^th North Carolina Infantry.  He led a charge and was wounded during the Battle of Malvern Hill.  Ramseur was unable to return to duty until after the Battle of Antietam, when he was given command of a brigade of four North Carolina regiments in Confederate Brigadier General Robert E Rodes’ division.  On November 1^st 1862, Ramseur would be promoted to Brigadier General, and at only 25 was the youngest Confederate General at the time.  He led his brigade against the Union right at the Battle of Chancellorsville, and he would be wounded again.  At the Battle of Gettysburg he led his brigade against the right flank of the Union First Corps on Oak Hill, pushing them all the way through the town to Cemetery Hill.  Ramseur was in the action at the Battles of Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, and Cold Harbor.

Ramseur was part of Confederate General Jubal A Early’s Corps during the Valley Campaign of 1864.  During the Battle of Cedar Creek on October 19^th 1864 the Confederates made a surprise morning attack on a Union camp, routing most of them.  But the Confederates being hungry and worn out stopped, fell out of ranks and started rummaging through the Union camp.  Ramseur pulled together a few hundred of his men, and with those soldiers stood off a counter attack made by Union General Philip H Sheridan for over an hour.  Ramseur leading his men had three horses shot out from under him, before being shot through the lungs.  He was captured by a member of the 1^st Vermont Cavalry, and was taken to Sheridan’s headquarters at the Belle Grove Mansion near Meadow Mills, Virginia where he died.  Ramseur’s last words were, "Bear this message to my precious wife—I die a Christian and hope to meet her in heaven."  He is buried in the St Luke’s Episcopal Cemetery in Lincolnton, North Carolina.